The United States has stopped contributing money to the United Nations (UN) fund that funds the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, which is commanded by Kenya. The underfunded mission will be greatly impacted by this action, which stops $13.3 million in pending funding.
Kenyan officials are among those who were taken aback by the move, which is a component of newly elected President Donald Trump’s drive to reduce foreign aid.
In October 2023, the MSS mission to support Haitian authorities in their fight against criminal gangs was approved by the UN Security Council.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that without increased aid, Haiti’s capital could fall to gang control.
The mission, which has raised $110 million so far, remains critically underfunded and operates with just under 800 of the planned 2,500 security personnel.
The US had transferred $15 million to the fund, with $1.7 million already spent. The funding freeze is part of a broader review of foreign assistance to ensure alignment with Trump’s “America First” policy.
The catastrophic situation in Haiti was highlighted by Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, the country’s foreign minister, who said that the lack of help not only endangers the people but also the state’s ability to survive.
